Senin, 19 Mei 2025

SEC hacker sentenced; 2017 altseason repeat


An SEC hacker is headed to prison, and one analyst says altseason 2017 repeat incoming.	͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏	View in browser

Your weekly roundup of the 🔥hottest news in crypto:

SEC Hacker Headed to Prison, Analyst Says Altseason 2017 Repeat Incoming, & More

May 11 - 17

#1

SEC hacker sentenced to 14 months in prison

A federal judge sentenced Eric Council Jr., who participated in posting a fake announcement on the US Securities and Exchange Commission's X account saying it would approve spot Bitcoin ETFs, to 14 months in prison.

Following a May 16 hearing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department announced that Council would serve 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud.

"Schemes of this nature threaten the health and integrity of our market system," said Jeanine Pirro, interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia. "SIM swap schemes threaten the financial security of average citizens, financial institutions, and government agencies."

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#2

Bitcoin to $1M by 2028 as Hayes tells Europe to 'get your money out'

Bitcoin has two strong tailwinds that will help propel it to seven digits in a few years, according to former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes.

For Hayes, shifting capital controls worldwide and US Treasury "devaluation" means that Bitcoin will become the go-to safety net for investors everywhere.

He summarized:

"Foreign capital repatriation and the devaluation of the gargantuan stock of US Treasurys will be the two catalysts that will power Bitcoin to $1 million sometime between now and 2028."

#3

Ex-UFC champ Conor McGregor touts Irish Bitcoin reserve in presidential bid

UFC fighter turned Irish political hopeful Conor McGregor has endorsed the idea of building a Bitcoin reserve in his country to give more "power back to the people."

"Crypto in it's origin was founded to give power back to the people. An Irish Bitcoin strategic reserve will give power to the people's money," McGregor wrote to X on May 9.

The former UFC champion said he would discuss his plans in more detail in an upcoming X spaces, prompting responses from some of the Bitcoin industry's most prominent leaders.

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Prediction of the Week

Altcoins are on the verge of 'most powerful rally' since 2017 — Analyst

The altcoin market cap, excluding Ether, added $126 billion in Q2, sparking enthusiasm from analysts who have been waiting for an altseason. Crypto analyst Javon Marks noted a breakout that could rival the explosive 2017 bull run.

In a recent post on X, Marks highlighted a chart comparing the TOTAL3 index (total market cap of altcoins excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum) against the US money supply, suggesting that altcoins may be on the verge of a significant rally.

A rise in TOTAL3 against the US money supply suggests that altcoins are gaining value relative to the total liquidity in the US economy, reflecting increased investor interest and capital inflow to altcoins.

FUD of the week

Violent crypto robberies on the rise: Six attacks that targeted investors

As cryptocurrency gains in popularity and price, some criminals are taking to violent measures to steal funds from high-profile crypto holders.

Jameson Lopp's GitHub repository, which logs such incidents, has recorded 22 "$5 wrench" attacks on crypto holders in 2025 alone. The moniker comes from the crude and violent methods perpetrators use to compel crypto holders to hand over their bags.

In many cases, local law enforcement can intervene before anyone is harmed and funds are lost. But there is a growing trend of increasingly violent and successful attacks, some of which have resulted in permanent harm and even death.

The most recent incident in Paris, France, compelled the French Ministry of the Interior to hold a meeting to address the rising trend.

FUD of the week

AI scammers are now impersonating US government bigwigs, says FBI

Deepfake-assisted hackers are now targeting US federal and state officials by masquerading as senior US officials in the latest brazen phishing campaign to steal sensitive data.

The bad actors have been operating since April, using deepfake voice messages and text messages to masquerade as senior government officials and establish rapport with victims, the FBI said in a May 15 warning.

"If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior US official, do not assume it is authentic," the agency said.

If US officials' accounts are compromised, the scam could become far worse because hackers can then "target other government officials, or their associates and contacts, by using the trusted contact information they obtain," the FBI said.